This is thought to be a defensive behavior. The Florida predatory stink bug is considered a beneficial insect because most of its prey consists of plant-damaging bugs, beetles, and caterpillars. It seldom plays more than a minor role in the natural control of insects, but its prey includes a number of economically important species.
This bug is found occasionally on just about any plant in the landscape. It may feed facultatively on plants but never causes noticeable damage. Plant damage has never been noted for Euthyrhynchus stink bugs. If such feeding does occur, the negligible plant damage is certainly outweighed by their beneficial role in controlling plant feeding pests.
Most bugs are susceptible to Sevin insecticide, but in this case, it does not seem to be necessary to treat since the Florida predatory stink bug is way more beneficial than harmful. For assistance with a specific problem, contact your local Cooperative Extension Center. Spined soldier bug Podisus maculiventris. Both nymphs and adults attack insects larger than themselves, and suck the body fluids from their prey with a needle-like beak.
Predatory stink bugs tend to have a shorter, stouter beak than the long, thin beak of plant-feeding stink bugs. Adults overwinter in sheltered locations and leaf litter, emerging in early spring to stalk and devour their prey.
They may also snack on your beans, eggplants or okra. Stink bugs follow crop seasons, so they will start out on host plants that are grasses and weeds, move to fruit trees and ornamental plants and ultimately end up in your garden. Signs that stink bugs have nibbled on your plants will include pinprick holes that may have a cloudy area below them; shriveled or deformed seeds or fruits; and dark, bitter-tasting spots inside nuts such as pecans.
While most types of stink bugs chow down on plants, there are a few that are predatory. These species prey on other insects, and are considered beneficial by many gardeners because of this. Predatory stink bugs will eat the eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults of more than other species of insects.
Both stink bug nymphs and adults hunt down other insects. Figure 3. Eggs of Euthyrhynchus floridanus Linnaeus , a predatory stink bug. Nymphs: Identification of the nymphs Figure 4 is less certain, particularly the earlier instars. The available keys are based on the last fifth instar, but key characters often apply to the fourth instar as well. Hart included a key to nymphs in the various stink bug subfamilies.
DeCoursey and Allen published a key to the fifth instar nymphs of 25 genera of eastern United States stink bugs. However, four asopine genera Alcaeorrhynchus, Andrallus, Mineus, and Oplomus reported from Florida were not included. Also listed were field recognition characters of mature nymphs, with Euthyrhynchus summarized as having head, thorax, and lateral and medial plates metallic green, abdomen bright red; length 8 to 9 mm.
The mature nymphs reared by Oetting and Yonke were 10 to An occasional mistake of beginners is to confuse Euthyrhynchus nymphs with beetles. The latter would have elytra forming a suture dorsally, and the mouthparts would be of the chewing type.
Also, the young stink bugs lack wings and have tube-like piercing-sucking mouthparts. Figure 4. Recently molted nymphs of a predatory stink bug, Euthyrhynchus floridanus L. Photograph by Lynette Schimming. First instar : The first instar is approximately 1.
The head width, including eyes, is 0. These are difficult to distinguish from the first instar nymphs of Alcaeorrhynchus grandis Dallas , as both have a blue-black head and thorax and red abdomen with dark central and lateral stripes composed of dorsal and lateral dark-colored plates. Nymphs of this age do not stray far from the egg mass and may be distinguished by association with the form of the mass and the numbers of eggs.
Alcaeorrhynchus grandis masses are in multiple rows and contain to eggs. Second instar : The second instar is 2 to 2. As in other asopine stink bugs, Euthyrhynchus floridanus begins to capture insect prey as a second instar nymph. It looks much like the first instar and retains the same coloration. Third instar : The third instar is approximately 4 mm long. The head width is 1. This instar is colored much as in the first instar.
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